Via this column, we'll explore one grammar rule each week. If you have a grammar question you'd like me to address, please drop me a line at grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com and I'll do my best to answer it.

The 2012 Summer Olympics featured 26 sports. Summer Olympics staples (at least in the U.S.) always include basketball, swimming, gymnastics, track, etc. -- the ones we all wait for and watch and aren't surprised to see.

But what about the weirdest sports in the Olympics? With the Games winding down, let's take this moment to remember the most bizarre sports we got to watch over the last two weeks, while reviewing if and when to use regard or regards:

Main Rule: The correct phrase is in regard to or with regard to. Not regards.

Examples:

• In regard to track cycling, the bicycle racing sport held in velodromes, why do they bother slowing down? (And what's with the funny helmets?)
• With regard to Olympics makeup, synchronized swimmers take the cake for looking a bit clownish.
• Crotch-grabbing, kicking, punching and gouging, in regard to water polo, looks terrifying!

This may be confusing to some because regards can be used correctly as a verb that means "to consider or think of someone or something in specified way," or as a noun as "attention to or concern for something."

• The synchronized diver regards his teammate's movements carefully. [verb]
• The gold medalist of table tennis sends his regards to the silver and bronze medalists. [noun]

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, watch out for golf and rugby sevens, which were just added to the roster!

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